ATE is so hot if we divided IC testing to Digital and mixed-signal and RF.
Digital: General and High Speed and Memory
Mixed-Signal: DAC and ADC and PLL.
RF: Up and Down converter and Mixed-Signal.
From computer language (C, C++, VB and Java .....) to ATE hardware control. It is not so easy to handle in the short time......
" If you regarded IC testing as the garbage, your ICs would be the garbage".................